QUETTA: Pakistan Railways has suspended the Quetta-Chaman train service amid rising tensions along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, officials said on Thursday.
Other train operations, however, continue as usual. The Jaffar Express from Quetta to Peshawar departed according to schedule, while the Bolan Mail reached Quetta today after a three-week suspension due to low passenger turnout. Officials said the train will leave for Karachi tomorrow as per routine.
The development comes days after an explosion targeted railway operations in Sindh. A blast on the tracks near Sultan Kot in Shikarpur District caused four carriages of the Jaffar Express to derail at around 8:15am.
Shikarpur Deputy Commissioner Shakeel Abro confirmed that seven passengers were injured in the incident. Four victims were shifted to the Combined Military Hospital, while three were taken to the Civil Hospital in Shikarpur.
Tensions have flared up between Pakistan and Afghanistan Taliban at the border as the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), whose fighters are based and trained in Afghanistan, carried out a series of deadly attacks that have killed hundreds of Pakistani security personnel since 2021.
Pakistan and Afghanistan on Wednesday agreed to a 48-hour ceasefire after the deadliest border clashes in years.
The truce took effect on Wednesday at 6:00pm (PST). Pakistani officials said the move aims to prevent further escalation and create space for dialogue.
Confirming the ceasefire duration, Pakistan’s Foreign Office stated that both countries “will sincerely work towards finding a constructive and lasting solution to this complex yet resolvable issue through meaningful engagement.”
